Notes
First 5k race since last year at North Penn.
Stayed back for the first 800 and then began working my way up. Felt awesome at first, smooth, good form, easy running. I passed a couple people before encountering the first place guy 400 meters into mile 2 right before the big downhill. If i had to do it over again, I would have just stayed on his shoulder for the entire second mile, and made a move with a mile to go. It would have been good to be running with some competition for a while instead of out there alone.
but I was overconfident and was damn sure that i could pass him now and win the race. I give myself props for that confidence, but I underestimated him and also the toughness of the course the final mile. Going up that last huge hill another guy came from no where and passed both of us, and i started to go with him, but pretty soon he was out ahead by 30 or 40 meters and growing. This is when it got hard. The last mile after the big hill was a gradual uphill and my breathing was so heavy i think the altitude was hitting me. I kept trying over and over, repeatedly to rally myself and start catching him and while my body might have had a lot more (my legs felt so fresh after the race), my mind was not co-operating, and attempts to rally were met by thoughts like "second would still be pretty good" and "god i just want this to be over." Running down that final hill I kept trying to push and i started now to hear footsteps behind me. But yet for some reason i think i was afraid to kick. I couldn't bring myself to go for an all-out sprint until i saw the finish line. this i think was the other mistake of this race. If i had kicked at 400 to go instead of at 80 to go i would have kept second. But all my thoughts were on the person ahead and how difficult it would be to catch him. When i saw the finish line I took off but it was too late. My old opponent from before was kicking and his top gear was faster than mine. I had no chance at that point even though he didn't catch me until 1 meter before the end of the race. Ouch. But understandable considering i have done 0 speedwork for the last month. not even strides. Ironic; last night i decided to dedicate the last mile to pre in the spirit of pushing myself past my limits. (the first one was to Sam to remind me to stay calm and relaxed at the beginning, the second was to Aaron and Ari to think about what i would yell at them if this were a race at JRF) But unfourtunately i got outkicked exactly the same way pre did in his olympic final.
I must say. That guy ran an excellent race. To hang with me patiently for over a mile and a half after i had clearly stated my intention to beat him. I'm glad that i was in a real race, even though I was on the losing end of it.
Positives:
-I ran the same time as at the NP 5k despite being at 5300 ft altitude, mud and cold rain, and the course being about... uh.. 90 percent hills. I think this time is definitely worth sub 20, maybe sub 19on a flat, 60 degree, sea level course. last half of second mile and first half of third mile are about a continuous 1 mile uphill. That was brutal.
-I stayed strong mentally for most of the race
- I had the balls to take the lead at a mile and a half, and maintained first place for about 1000 meters
-I PRd in terms of highest place ever in a race! (and got a nice medal and 15 dollar olive garden gift card yay)
- Most importantly, i ran fast on vicious hills without getting injured
- I more than held my own with competition that was used to running at this altitude, (this is real good) I didn't let the course, the altitude, or the weather psych me out. I viewed the hills as an advantage for the majority of the race
- Meeting runners from Farmington! (that's why i did this in the first place.) Some real cool guys, including one guy who regularly runs 15-17 mile long runs on mountains in colorado at 10000 feet.
Growth Edges:
- Failing to tap into inner strength that I know I have in the last 800 meters. This frustrated me so much, even whilst it was happening. (more racing)
- Impatience, hubris, at the beginning of the race (more racing)
-running on downhills. they still freak me out and i hate the way that my legs pound the ground. (some downhill workouts maybe, once my knees are feeling better though)
- Most important- my kick. I am determined to learn how to finish the final mile faster than the rest of the race, and how to sprint for 400 meters (with more at the end) to really tax the competion. I have significant mental barriers here; I don't know how or why, but I'm determined to break them down. (I'm thinking some kind of 600, 1000, or 2000 workouts eventually where the last 200/400 is run faster than the rest of the interval)
So yeah. Racing is awesome. It's good to be running again. the process is the goal...
Let's see if i can break 20 minutes on that course before i leave farmington. That might be worth a sub 18 sea level and flat. But next race; I'm feeling an 8 or a 10 k. More time to get in a groove mentally- I have a gut feeling that those distances are far more in my wheelhouse than a 5k.
Edit:
Because I'm procrastinating and a nerd I figured out the elevation profile on google earth for the course. +364 and -364 ft, with the highest point being at 5788 ft. of elevation